Go gourmet or simply upgrade your favorite pizza

Mmmm, pizza. The mere mention of it is enough to trigger a Pavlovian drooling response like a pizza-crazed Homer Simpson.

Megan McKee

Mmmm, pizza. The mere mention of it is enough to trigger a Pavlovian drooling response like a pizza-crazed Homer Simpson.

Since coming to the U.S. with Italian immigrants in the 18th century, pizza has undergone dramatic transformations: ethnic Italian dish to chain restaurant staple and recently, to upscale restaurant fare.

Walk into some of the most acclaimed restaurants on the South Shore and you’ll find pizza sitting next to roasted duck and the finest cuts of meat.

On a recent Sunday night, Deidre Lynch was finishing dinner with her husband at Tullio’s, a cozy Italian restaurant in North Quincy that serves dishes like wood-grilled scallops and veal scallopini.

‘‘Love it,’’ Lynch said of the pizza she eats about once a week. ‘‘I love the thin-crust crispiness of it. I like the variety they have.’’

To get the almost impossibly thin crust so crisp without being burnt, Tullio’s uses a 700-degree wood-burning oven. They top their creations with everything from eggplant to pancetta to goat cheese.

Kim Oliva has been the general manager at the restaurant for four years and has been working in the industry for 27 years. She sees the proliferation of upscale pizza as a statement about people’s expanding palates and appreciation for good ingredients and interesting flavor combinations.

‘‘Pizza is an art,’’ she said. ‘‘It no longer becomes something you pick up on the way home from the kids’ soccer practice.’’

That’s certainly the case at Ember in Marshfield, where guests can dine on pizza with names like ‘‘seared rare tenderloin.’’

‘‘I would say my philosophy is to stand a bit apart from most other dining options and certainly to stand on the contemporary sides of things,’’ said Charly Bournazos, Ember’s owner. ‘‘The duck confit has a hardcore following.’’

Besides the duck confit, with its complementing flavors of grilled pineapple, scallions, ginger and hoisin glaze, diners can nosh on the sea scallops with bacon and shallot puree pizza, a new addition from recently hired chef George Willette.

Not everyone is as concerned about breaking new ground. At Tosca, sous chef Brian Hennebury said he believes the traditional combo of mozzarella, sauce and seasoning is king.

‘‘I think people seem to be tending more toward classic pizzas. People are looking for the familiar,’’ said Hennebury, who uses locally made fresh smoked mozzarella on his pies.

Tosca does have unique pizzas - after all, who else uses baby lettuce? - but Hennebury insists that the restaurant would rather excel at the basics.

‘‘Execution is much more important than the novelty of the pizza,’’ he said.

Of course, pizza can serve a much more utilitarian function than culinary exploration: It’s an easy meal when Angus sirloin or Atlantic salmon seems too big an undertaking.

‘‘We feature the pizzas as a light alternative to a big dinner,’’ said Bournazos, Ember’s owner.

‘‘If we go out, the four of us, we’ll start out with pizza as an appetizer,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s the best of both worlds.’’

Pizza perfection

Porcini Crema

16 ounces heavy cream

8 to 10 ounces of fresh or frozen porcini mushrooms (Do not substitute dry for this recipe, they are too strong)

1 large shallot, diced small

2 pinches of kosher salt

1 small pinch of fine ground black pepper

one sprig of thyme, sage, and rosemary

Combine all ingredients above and slowly simmer together until thickened, about 35 min. Whisk often and be very careful not to scorch.

Cool slightly and whisk in 6 ounces of Vermont Butter & Cheese Co. mascarpone. Cool thoroughly in the fridge for three hours or overnight.

— To make a pizza: Lightly olive oil a standard pizza dough and spread the chilled sauce on top. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses. Roast like you would a regular pizza.

Remove from the oven and serve right away sprinkled with hydroponic mache leaves and truffle oil. This makes a great seasonal treat served with freshly shaved truffles if you are in the mood to splurge. Works best with thin crust style pizzas.
-- Recipe from Tosca

Sea scallop and smoked bacon pizza

9-ounce dough ball

4 U-10 fresh sea scallops (thinly sliced)

2 tablespoons roasted shallot puree

3 ounces Fontina cheese

2 ounces grated Parmesan

3 pieces smoked bacon (diced and pan fried)

1 scallion (fine cut Julienne)

Preheat pizza stone in your oven to 500 degrees Farenheit.

Roll out dough ball, dusting with flour as needed, to form pizza shell of 12-14 inches in diameter.

Dust the surface of a flat baking sheet with cornmeal and place the pizza shell upon it. (The cornmeal will prevent the shell from sticking to the pan, allowing it to be easily ‘‘slipped off’’ onto the hot oven stone.)

Spread the shallot puree evenly across the shell, just as you would a red sauce. Continue topping the shell with the Fontina, Parmesan, bacon bits, and lastly, the thinly sliced scallops.

Lightly jiggle the pan to make certain that the shell is not ‘‘sticking,’’ and then briskly slip the pizza onto the hot oven stone as you pull the pan out from beneath it.

Cook until the shell is crisp and light brown in color, and the cheeses have melted.

Remove from oven, cut into slices, and garnish with Julienne scallions.
- Recipe from Ember

Pizza dough

3 cups water, warmed to 100 degrees Farenheit

2 ½ teaspoons dry active yeast

1 tablespoon. honey

1-2tablespoons olive oil

2 ½ teaspoons salt

5 ¾ cups high gluten flour

In a mixing bowl, combine the water, honey, yeast and olive oil, and allow it to stand for several minutes until the yeast begins to activate, and a light ‘‘frothing’’ is visible.

Add flour and salt to bowl, and mix on slow speed using dough hook, for several minutes.

Remove bowl from mixer, and allow the dough to ‘‘rise’’ until approximately doubled in size.

Cut dough into eight equal parts, and roll into balls. Unused balls may be lightly coated with oil, sealed in plastic bags, and frozen for future use.
- Recipe from Ember

Roasted shallot puree

10 finely diced, peeled shallots

1 cup blended oil

Using a sauté pan, cook shallots in oil over medium heat until golden brown. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Allow mixture to cool a bit, and pour off excess oil.

Puree shallots in food processor until smooth, adding a bit of oil if needed to achieve consistency.

- Recipe from Ember

Reach Megan Mckee at mmckee@ledger.com.

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